Machine for making concrete blocks.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

C. O. BRANDELL. MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1905.

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. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906. 0. 0. BRANDELL. MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETEBLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1905.

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MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT9,1905

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GLAUS O. BRANDELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed September 9, 1905. Serial No. 277,718-

To ft whmit it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAUS O. BRANDELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for MakingConcrete Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus to be used formaking blocks employed for building or structural purposes, and while itis more especially intended to be used for manufacturing con creteblocks having apertures or air-spaces therein, yet it is applicable loruse in making brick, terra-cotta, and the like of similar form; and itconsists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novelarrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will behereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The object 01 the invention is to afford a machine of the above-namedcharacter which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong,durable, and effective in operation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a view inelevation as seen from one end of the machine, illustrating bycontinuous lines the position of the parts when the cores are in theirlowered positions and by dotted lines the position the moldbox willoccupy in the initial step of filling the same. Fig. 2 is a view, partlyin section and partly in elevation, taken on line 2 2 of ,1

Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe machine. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the platesused as a bottom for the mold-box. Fig. 5 is a rear view in elevation ofthe machine. Fig. 6 iS a plan view of the mold-box, showing it removedfrom the frame and illustrating by dotted lines the tilted positionsthereoi when it is desired to remove the block. section and partlyinelevation, of a portion of the mold-box and a part of thesupportingfrarne, showing the means of mounting the i Fig. 8 is an innerperspecformer thereon. tive view of one end of the supporting-frame.Fig. 9 is an end view in elevation and partly in section of a portion ofthe supporting- Fig.7 is a view, partly in l l l l will rest.

frame, showing the mold-box mounted thereon and illustrating it bycontinuous lines partly filled with concrete and by dotted lines some ofits other positions it will occupy in the operation of forming andremoving the block. Fig. 10 is a similar view of like parts, but showingthe cores raised and the moldbOX in the position it will assume when itis completely filled. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the blocksformed by the machine. Fig. 12 is a fragmental perspective view of oneof the engaging lugs or catches located on the ends of the rear part ofthe mold-box. Fig. 13 is a similar view of one of the cam-leversefiiployed for engagement with said catches. Fig. 14 is a perspectiveview of a portion of the movable frame which carries the cores. Fig. 15is a similar view of one of the blocks used for securing the cores totheir frame, and Fig. 16 is an end view of the shaft on which the frontportions of the mold-box is mounted and a part of the removable bottomof the box.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

The reference-numerals 20 designate the end pieces of thesupporting-frame, each of which has a front 21 and rear leg 22, unitednear their lower ends by means of cross-bars 23 and at their upper endsby means of transverse portions 24, which, as shown, are inclinedforwardly. The cross-bars 23 of the end pieces 20 are connected to etherby means of a bar 25, which extends ongitudinally with the main frameand is preferably T-shaped in cross-section. One of the portions 24 isprovided on its outer edge near its rear end with a lug or extension 26for the purpose to be presently explained. The transverse portions 24 onthe upper ends of the end pieces 20 of the supporting-frame are unitedtogether near their rear ends by means of a bar 27, which extendslongitudi nally with the main frame and has on its upper surface aseries of transverse ribs 28, on which the detachable plates of themold-box Resting on the upper rear portion of the bar 27 and securedthereto by means of downwardly-extending projections 29 and rivets 29 isa plate 30, which forms the rear and stationary part of the mold-box.This plate has at each of its ends a horizontallyextending catch or lug31, each of which is provided with a downwardly-beveled hooked portion32 (see Fig. 12 of the drawings) to enroe IIO

gage the cam 33 on one of the levers 34, which are fulcrumed on theouter surface of the end plates 35 of the mold-box. Each of the endplates 35 is provided on'its front edge with apertured lugs 36 toreceive pintles 37, used for pivotally securing said plates to the frontplate 38 of the mold-box, which plate is provided at its ends withapertured lugs 39 for the reception of said pintles' This plate isrigidly secured to a shaft or bar 40 which extends longitudinally withthe main frame from one of theend pieces 20 to the other thereof and hasits ends reduced and secured in hearings or journal-boxes 41, located onthe upper surface of the transverse portions 24 near their front ends.As shown in Figs. 6, 7, 10, and 16 of the drawings, the shaft 40 isprovided on its inner portion with a series of lugs 42 to engage thedownwardly-extendin flange 43 on the front edge of the removab ie plates44, which plates also have at their rear edges a downwardly-extendingflange 45, as shown. Pivotally secured at its lower end to each of (thefront legs 21 of the main or supporting frame is a bar 46, the upper endof which is rigidly connected to a supporting-plate 47, which liesvertically and longitudinally near the front portion of the main frameand is pivotally connected, by means of links 48, located near each ofits ends, with the front plate 38 of the mold-box.

Located on the inner surface of each of the legs 22 and in an inclinedposition is a rack 49, with which the traveling gears mesh, which gearsare mounted near the ends of a shaft 51, which carries on one of itsends a lever 52, used when it is desired to raise and lower the cores53, which may be of any suitable size, form, and number, but usually ofthe shape in cross-section to correspond with the openings 54 in theplates 44, which are used to form the bottom of the mold-box. Located onthe inner surfaceof each of the end pieces 20 and extending inparallelism with the-rack 49 thereon is a bar 55, which is formed with achannel 56 to receive a movable rack-bar 57, which bars also engage thepinions or gears 50, but on the opposite side thereof from that engagedby the rack 49. Each of the bars is provided at a suitable point with aninwardly-projecting lug 58 to act as a stop for the core-carrying frame59, which is horizontally mounted on the upper ends of the rack-bars 57and extends from near the inner surface of one of the end pieces 20 tothe other. This frame for the cores is provided with a series oflongitudinally-extending slots or openings 60 to receive the reducedportions 61 of the blocks 62, used for securing the cores 53 to theupper surface of said frame. As shown in Fig. 15, the portion; 61 ofeach of the securingblocks is formed with an opening 63 to receive ascrewthreaded bolt 64,which engages the lower portion of each of thecores, thereby holding them in'an upright position in such a manner asto permit them to be readily and suitably adjusted. The lever 52, usedfor operating the cores 53, is provided on its inner surface with ayielding grip-piece 65,which when the lever is thrown to the positionshown by dot ted lines in Fig. 1, so as to raise the cores,will

engage the catch or lug 26 on one of the portions 24 of thesupporting-frame and by pressing the piece 65 toward the lever it willbe disengaged from said catch, thus permitting the cores to be lowered.

The operation of the machine is simple and as follows: When it isdesired to fill the rnold-box, one of the plates 44, which will form thebottom of the box, is placed within the same while the cores are intheir lowered positions and the parts are occupying the positions shownby continuous lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. When one of theplates has been placed in position in the bottom of the box, it isapparent that the flange 43 on the front edge thereof will engage thelugs 42 on the shaft 40, while its other flange 45 will rest on the ribs28 of the bar 27, to which the rear plate of the box is rigidly secured.By raising the levers 34 on the end plates 35, so as todisengage the camprojections 33 thereon from the hooks 32 of the catches or lugs 31 andby holding said end plates in their normal positions, it is apparentthat the front plate, bottom, and end plates of 'the mold-box may beturned to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and by continuouslines in Fig. 9 of the drawings, in which operation the lugs 66 on theinner surface of the lower rear portion of each of the end plates 35will engage the bottom plate 44, so as to lift and hold the same to andin an inclined position. In tilting the above named portions of themold-box forwardly it is evident that the links 48, connecting thesupporting plate or bar 47 with the front plate of the mold-box, will bemoved for wardly, so as to receive and support on a lug or rib 67 on theinner surface of said plate the upper portion of the front plate of themoldbox. When in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 andcontinuous lines in Fig. 9, the beveled projections 68 on the outer sur.face of each of the end plates 35 near its front upper portion willengage the ends of the supporting bar or plate 47 and hold the endplates in their original or normal positions with respect to thebottom'and front plate of the mold-box. When the box is in theabovenamed position, a sufficient quantity of concrete, cement, or othersuitable material 69 to give a suitable facing or finish to the block isplaced in the box, when it may be turned to the positions shown bycontinuous lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 10 of the drawings, whenthe cores 53may be raised by turning the lever 52 from the position indicated bycontinuous lines in Fig. 1 to that shown by dotted lines in said figure,which operation, through the instrumentality of the racks 49, gears 50,and rack-bars 57, will lift the cores to the desired position, wherethey may be held bymeans of the engagement of the grippiece with thecatch 26 on the supportingframe. hen the cores have thus been raised,the unfilled portions of the mold-box may be supplied with concrete orthe material out of which the block is made. To remove the block, thelevers 34 are disengaged from the catches 31, when the moldbox may betilted to the position indicated by dotted lines at 71 (see Fig. 9) andat 72 of Fig. 6. In thus tilting the mold-box the end plates 35 shouldbe opened outwardly, which operation will disengage the lugs 66 thereonfrom the plate or bottom 44, sothat the lugs 42 on the shaft 40 willslide the said plate forwardly, and thus carry the block a slightdistance from the rear plate 30, when it may be removed by lifting theplate 44 with the block thereon. After the block has been removed theend plates 35 should be closed and fastened, when by tilting the boXfurther forwardly from the position shown by dotted lines at 71 (seeFig. 9) the bars 46 and sup porting-plate 47, through theinstrumentality of the links 48, will be moved forwardly, thuspermitting the parts to assume the positions shown by continuous linesin said figure, when the front plate may be allowed to rest on the lugor rib 67 on the inner surface of the supporting-plate. In thisoperation the links 48 will cause sufficient movement of the bars 46 andplate 47 to allow the plate 38 to pass the inner upper edge and innersurface of the supporting-plate, as is apparent.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for making concrete blocks, the combination with asupportingframe, of a detachable mold-box mounted thereon and pivotallyconnected to the front portion of the frame, an apertured and movablebottom for said box, a series of cores vertically movably mounted on themain frame and adapted to fit in the apertures of said bot- I tom, meansmovably mounted on the frame to raise and lower the cores, and asupporting- I bar pivotally connected to the front portion I of theframe and also to the front portion of a the mold-box for supporting thelatter in its tilted position, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for making concrete 5 blocks, the combination with asupportingframe, of a detachable mold-box mounted thereon and pivotallyconnected to the front portion of the frame, an apertured bottom forsaid box, racks vertically located on the end pieces of thesupporting-frame, rack-bars vertically movably supported on said endpieces in parallelism with the said racks, a core-frame mounted on theupper ends of said rack-bars, a series of cores mounted on said frameand adapted to operate in the apertures of the bottom of the mold-box, ashaft horizontally and movably located between the racks and rack-bars,a gear on said shaft near each of its ends to engage said racks andbars, an operating-lever on one end of said shaft, means on the mainframe to engage said lever when the cores are in their raised positions,and a supporting-plate longitudinally located near the front portion ofthe frame and pivotally secured thereto as well as to the mold-box forthe purpose of supporting the same when the latter is in its tiltedposition, substantially as described.

' 3. In a machine for making concrete blocks, the combination with asupportingframe consisting of two end pieces connected togetherlongitndinally in their lower portions and each provided on its upperend with a transverse portion, a bar secured longitudinally of the frameon the upper portion of said transverse parts, a back plate rigidlysecured to said bar and having at each of its ends a catch, alongitudinally-extending shaft journaled at its ends on the front portion of said transverse parts of the frame and having on its innersurface a series of lugs, a front plate rigidly secured to said shaft,end plates pivotally secured to the ends of the front plate, a camleverfulcrumed on each of said end plates near its free end to engage thecatches on the rear plate of the mold-box, an apertured bottom having atits front edge a do'wnturned flange to engage the lugs on said shaft,cores vertically movably mounted on the supporting-frame and adapted tooperate in the apertures of said bottom, means to raise and lower thecores, and a supportingplate pivotally secured to the front portion ofthe supporting-frame as well as to the front plate of the moldbox forsupporting the latter when in its tilted position, substantially asdescribed.

CLAUS O. BRANDELL.

